Lions take U of M’s Hutchinson 2nd overall – Friday Morning Sports Update

NFL Draft – Lions take Hutchinson at No. 2, trade up to take Williams
The Detroit Lions have selected Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson with the No. 2 pick, addressing a desperate need with a hometown star. The 6-foot-6, 265-pound edge rusher was a sack-master for the Wolverines whose consistency and relentlessness helped lead them to their first College Football Playoff. Detroit also traded up to take Alabama receiver Jameson Williams at No. 12 overall. Hutchinson was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy this past season for the Wolverines.

NFL Draft – 9 trades shake up 1st round
Two more prominent wide receivers switched teams with Tennessee’s A.J. Brown and Baltimore’s Marquise Brown getting swapped during a dizzying stretch of the NFL draft. The Ravens traded Marquise Brown and the 100th overall pick to Arizona for the 23rd pick in the draft. Then the Titans dealt A.J. Brown to Philadelphia for the 18th and 101st picks. In all, 17 of the 23 picks made between Nos. 7 and 29 in the draft were made by teams that acquired them in trades. Eleven of those picks changed hands in the nine trades made during draft.

NFL Draft – Defense 1st, then offense, with receivers a focal point
In an NFL draft focused early on stoppers, it was the goers — wide receivers — who stole the spotlight Thursday night. Not simply prospects, either. Yes, the first five selections came on the defensive side of the ball, including edge rushers Travon Walker of national champion Georgia to Jacksonville and Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan to Detroit at Nos. 1 and 2. It was the first time in 31 years that no player on offense went in the opening five picks. So, naturally, the next five choices were on offense. And those kept coming: right through No. 12. And the theme throughout the first 20 picks was to get guys who could catch the ball — including Philadelphia acquiring standout A.J. Brown from the Titans, and Arizona getting veteran Marquise Brown from the Ravens.

NFL Draft – Bengals get Michigan DB Daxton Hill with 31st pick
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Michigan defensive back Daxton Hill with the 31st pick of the draft. The Bengals passed up some other enticing defensive players to get someone they expect to contribute right away in their secondary. The 6-foot, 191-pound Hill mostly played safety but also some slot cornerback at Michigan. Coach Zac Taylor says he could fit in at safety or nickel in the Bengals defense.

NBA – DeRozan, Bulls looking to build on breakthrough season
DeMar DeRozan wants to build on a standout season and help the Chicago Bulls make the next jump after taking a big step forward. He gets the sense from management they’ll try to do it with their core remaining intact. The Bulls no doubt made huge strides following a massive overhaul that began when Arturas Karnisovas was hired out of Denver’s front office in two years ago to lead their basketball operation. Chicago went 46-36 in coach Billy Donovan’s second season and made the playoffs for the first time since 2017. They were eliminated in the 1st round by Milwaukee, 4-1.

NBA – National Basketball Association – 2022 NBA Playoffs – First Round
Last Night
Philadelphia 76ers 132, Toronto Raptors 97                    (PHI Wins 4-2)
Phoenix Suns 115, New Orleans Pelicans 109                    (PHX Wins 4-2)
Dallas Mavericks 98, Utah Jazz 96                                   (DAL Wins 4-2)

Tonight
Memphis Grizzlies at Minnesota Timberwolves, 9:00 p.m.    (MEM Leads 3-2)

NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Chicago Blackhawks at Buffalo Sabres, 7:00 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at New Jersey Devils, 7:00 p.m.
End Regular Season

NHL – Blackhawks hire longtime Cubs exec Greenberg as associate GM
The Chicago Blackhawks have completed their leadership team by hiring longtime Chicago Cubs executive Jeff Greenberg as associate general manager under new GM Kyle Davidson. The Blackhawks said Greenberg will be responsible for “overseeing the strategic systems and processes that will fuel” the team’s hockey operations. He will “establish and optimize a modern, continually evolving approach using systems, technology, data and talent.” Greenberg’s start date is May 9. He rounds out what the team called the “core brain trust.” The Blackhawks brought back longtime executive Norm Maciver as an associate GM to oversee the scouting operation last month after a stint as director of player personnel for the Seattle Kraken.

MLB – Major League Baseball
Last Night
Minnesota Twins 7, Detroit Tigers 1
Kansas City Royals 5, Chicago White Sox 2 – 10 Innings
Atlanta Braves 5, Chicago Cubs 1

Twins 7, Tigers 1 – Correa gets 3 hits; Twins top Tigers to go 6-0 in homestand
Carlos Correa broke out of a slump with three hits and three RBIs and the Minnesota Twins completed a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with a 7-1 victory on Thursday. Gio Urshela, Trevor Larnach, and Gilbert Celestino each had two hits for the Twins. Minnesota has won seven straight and finished off a 6-0 homestand that also included a sweep of the White Sox. Correa entered the game on an 0-for-10 skid that had dropped his batting average to .167. He came through with a two-run double in the fifth, an RBI single in the sixth and another single in the eighth.

Royals 5, White Sox 2 – F/10 – Royals take down White Sox 5-2 after 3-run 10th
Rookie Kyle Isbel hit a two-run single in Kansas City’s three-run 10th inning, and the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 5-2. Whit Merrifield scored the go-ahead run in the 10th when White Sox catcher Reese McGuire was charged with a passed ball with the bases loaded and two out. Isbel, who was promoted from Triple-A Omaha before the game, got his hit off left-hander Aaron Bummer. Chicago was held to three hits through the first seven innings, but tied it in the eighth. Royals starter Brad Keller induced 12 groundball outs and didn’t throw more than 15 pitches in any of his seven innings.

Braves 5, Cubs 1 – Acuña returns, Wright dominant again, Braves beat Cubs 5-1
Ronald Acuña Jr. went 1 for 5 with two stolen bases in his return to the Braves lineup, but it was Kyle Wright who claimed a starring role, pitching three-hit ball over a career-high seven innings to give Atlanta a 5-1 win over the Cubs. The struggling Braves took two of three from Chicago for their first series win of the season. Wright improved to 3-0, striking out eight while walking four. Austin Riley and Dansby Swanson hit solo homers off former Braves pitcher Drew Smyly. Adam Duvall provided some insurance with a two-run shot against Ethan Roberts in the eighth.

Tonight
L.A. Angels (Syndergaard 2-0) at Chicago White Sox (Giolito 0-0), 7:10 p.m.
Chicago Cubs (Hendricks 1-1) at Milwaukee (Houser 1-2), 8:10 p.m.
Detroit (Alexander 0-2) at L.A. Dodgers (Anderson 1-0), 10:10 p.m.               WSJM/WCSY 9:50

WNBA – Chicago to host WNBA All-Star Game for first time
Chicago will host the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time, the league announced. The game will coincide with two major youth girls’ basketball tournaments being played in Chicago the weekend of July 10. The league will host a two-day “WNBA Live” event that weekend. On July 9, the two All-Star teams will have practice indoors with participants from the Nike Nationals tournament in attendance. Later that day, the annual 3-point contest and skills challenge will also take place. The All-Star Game will played a day later.

NCAABSB – Police: Paint in Kansas team’s water; 2 juveniles suspected
Police in the central Kansas town of Lindsborg announced two boys are suspected of being involved in the contamination of a water cooler used by the Kansas Wesleyan baseball team during a doubleheader at Bethany College last weekend. Both schools contacted police to file a report about a foreign substance found in Kansas Wesleyan’s water. Police did not say how it connected the juveniles to the tainted water and said no one associated with either college was responsible for tampering with the water cooler. The substance mixed into the water was paint used to put lines on the field.

Golf – Tiger Woods heads to Southern Hill for PGA practice round
Tiger Woods is at Southern Hill three weeks before the start of the PGA Championship. It’s the first step toward deciding whether his right leg that was badly damaged in a February 2021 car accident can allow him to compete in another major. Woods made a positive return from the crash at the Masters earlier this month. He made the cut for the 22nd straight time. He tired on the weekend and finished 47th out of 52 players. Golf Channel says the head pro at Southern Hills caddied for him on Thursday. Tulsa TV station KOTV showed an overhead shot of Woods putting. He was wearing a black sleeve on his right leg.

Girls hockey programs show promise in nontraditional markets
The NHL playoffs will take place next week in Dallas, Tampa, Nashville, Raleigh and Washington, D.C., where girls hockey has expanded immensely over the past decade. But participation in those nontraditional markets still lags far behind hockey hotbeds like Massachusetts, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. The 3,177 female players aged 18 and younger registered by USA Hockey in Texas, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia combined is still fewer than in Wisconsin alone. The number of girls playing in those southern and mid-Atlantic locations is up more than 71% from 2011 to 2021. NHL teams, USA Hockey and others are working on getting more exposure, education and ice time to improve those numbers.

MILB – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
Great Lakes Loons 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 1
Lansing Lugnuts 4, Lake County Captains 1
Quad Cities River Bandits 5, South Bend Cubs 3

Tonight
Great Lakes Loons at West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m.
Lansing Lugnuts at Lake County Captains, 6:35 p.m.
South Bend Cubs at Quad Cities River Bandits, 7:30 p.m.

ECHL – ECHL Hockey League – 2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs – Round 1
Tonight
Cincinnati Cyclones 2, Toledo Walleye 0                          (CIN Leads 3-2)

MCCAA – Junior College Athletics
Yesterday
Softball
Lake Michigan College 4, Glen Oaks Community College 3 – Game 1
Lake Michigan College 4, Glen Oaks Community College 0 – Game 2

Today
Baseball
Muskegon Community College at Lake Michigan College, 2:00 p.m./4:00 p.m. (DH)

Softball
Lake Michigan College at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, 3:00 p.m./5:00 p.m. (DH)

MHSAA – High School Sports
Yesterday
Baseball
St. Joseph 7, Kalamazoo Central 0 – Game 1
Kalamazoo Central 3, St. Joseph 2 – Game 2
River Valley 18, Our Lady of the Lake 3
Vicksburg 12, Niles 0 – Game 1
Vicksburg 10, Niles 0 – Game 2
Watervliet 3, Gobles 0 – Game 1
Watervliet 7, Gobles 0 – Game 2
Sturgis 2, Paw Paw 1 – Game 1
Paw Paw 8, Sturgis 5 – Game 2
Hartford 22, Bangor 0
Decatur 15, Bloomingdale 0 – Game 1
Decatur 16, Bloomingdale 1 – Game 2
Centreville 6, Mendon 4 – Game 1
Centreville 3, Mendon 3 – Game 2 Suspended
Parchment 1, Kalamazoo Hackett 0 – Game 1 – 9 Inn.
Parchment 16, Kalamazoo Hackett 1 – Game 2
Lawton 11, Saugatuck 4 – Game 1
Lawton 3, Saugatuck 2 – Game 2
Mattawan 6, Gull Lake 2 – Game 1
Mattawan 5, Gull Lake 0 – Game 2

Girls Soccer
Brandywine 5, Hartford 2
Constantine 3, Bronson 0
Kalamazoo Heritage 2, Kalamazoo Hackett 1
Kalamazoo Christian 2, Saugatuck 0

Girls Tennis
St. Joseph 7, Kalamazoo Central 1

Softball
St. Joseph 8, Kalamazoo Central 4 – Game 1
St. Joseph 9, Kalamazoo Central 2 – Game 2
South Bend St. Joseph 6, Lakeshore 4
Mattawan 11, Gull Lake 1 – Game 1
Mattawan 11, Gull Lake 1 – Game 2
Howardsville Christian 17, Eau Claire 0 – Game 1
Howardsville Christian 2, Eau Claire 0 – Game 2
Vicksburg 9, Niles 7 – Game 1
Vicksburg 14, Niles 4 – Game 2
Buchanan 9, Bronson 5 – Game 1
Buchanan 10, Bronson 0 – Game 2
Bridgman 6, Coloma 4 – Game 1
Coloma 7, Bridgman 4 – Game 2
Watervliet 11, Gobles 1 – Game 1
Watervliet 15, Gobles 0 – Game 2
Berrien Springs 6, Constantine 0 – Game 1
Berrien Springs 14, Constantine 6 – Game 2
Hartford 20, Bangor 0 – Game 1
Hartford 23, Bangor 5 – Game 2
Marcellus 15, Cassopolis 0 – Game 1
Marcellus 16, Cassopolis 1 – Game 2
White Pigeon 5, Comstock 4 – Game 1
Comstock 6, White Pigeon 5 – Game 2
Paw Paw 7, Sturgis 6 – Game 1
Paw Paw 15, Sturgis 0 – Game 2
Lawton 11, Saugatuck 7 – Game 1
Lawton 3, Saugatuck 2 – Game 2
Three Rivers 5, Hamilton 4 – Game 1
Hamilton11, Three Rivers 4 – Game 2

Today
Girls Soccer
St. Joseph at Vicksburg, 6:30 p.m.
New Buffalo at Michigan Lutheran, 5:00 p.m.
Our Lady of the Lake at Niles, 5:00 p.m.
Bridgman at South Haven, 6:45 p.m.
Berrien Springs at Dowagiac, 5:00 p.m.
Buchanan at Three Rivers, 5:00 p.m.
Plainwell at Mattawan, 6:30 p.m.
Comstock at Saugatuck, 5:45 p.m.
Byron Center at Portage Northern, 6:30 p.m.
East Lansing at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 6:30 p.m.
Gull Lake at Grand Rapids Christian, 6:30 p.m.
Fennville at Hamilton, 5:30 p.m.
Kalamazoo Home School at Schoolcraft, 5:00 p.m.

Baseball
Benton Harbor at Our Lady of the Lake, 4:15 p.m. (DH)
New Buffalo at Michigan Lutheran, 4:15 p.m. (DH)
South Haven at Watervliet, 4:30 p.m. (DH)
River Valley at Decatur, 4:30 p.m.
Dowagiac at Plainwell, 4:00 p.m.
Hartford at Bloomingdale, 4:00 p.m.
Comstock at Saugatuck, 5:45 p.m.
Three Rivers at Allegan, 4:00 p.m.
Edwardsburg at Otsego, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Ada Forest Hills Eastern at Portage Northern, 4:00 p.m.
Fennville at Gobles, 4:30 p.m. (DH)

Softball
New Buffalo at Michigan Lutheran, 4:15 p.m. (DH)
South Haven at Watervliet, 4:30 p.m. (DH)
River Valley at Decatur, 4:30 p.m.
Dowagiac at Plainwell, 4:00 p.m.
Parchment at Allegan, 4:30 p.m.
Edwardsburg at Otsego, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
White Pigeon at Centreville, 4:00 p.m.